Vice President Harris is in a precarious position when it comes to helping to resolve the immigrant crisis on the border, especially as someone with presidential aspirations.
The issue could pose major challenges for a future White House candidacy, especially if it goes badly, leaving Harris vulnerable to attacks from the right and also to possible investigations by those on the left who are dissatisfied with the way the Biden government deals with immigrant children.
“Facing immigration as a niche issue is fraught with opportunities and risks for the vice president,” said Democratic strategist Joel Payne. “This is especially true for someone with a public profile, which is relatively new in a large part of the country.”
Payne added that it is particularly thorny for Democrats, if history is any indication. They point to the difficulty of former President Obama on the issue within his own party.
“Immigration is a much more complicated issue within the Democratic Party than conventional wisdom suggests,” he said. “There is a lot of scar tissue from immigration policies in the Obama era that makes many activists still very excited.”
Harris’ allies also fear the worst, as far as the outcome is concerned.
“It is not the best task,” said an ally who worked alongside Harris. “It is a big task, but it will not be easy.”
While the White House was under increasing pressure because of the increase in migrant children housed in border facilities, Biden announced at the end of last month that he would entrust Harris with leading commitments to Mexico and the countries of the North Triangle to stem the flow of migrants to the southern US border.
In making the announcement, Biden noted that he played a similar role during his time as Obama’s vice president. He also described Harris as the most suitable person for the job, looking at his previous work as California’s attorney general and the defense of human rights.
“I gave you a hard job and you are smiling, but there is no one better able to try to organize this for us,” Biden told Harris.
In the first two months of the government, Democrats wondered why Harris had not been given a specific political role in the White House, especially since others held other possible positions, such as overseeing the coronavirus relief package.
“A lot of people are wondering what her portfolio will look like,” said a Democratic donor who was surprised by the lack of a role for Harris.
When it comes to the border situation, the White House was careful to specify that Harris is not in charge itself, but rather leading the diplomatic piece in trying to work with other countries to resolve the roots of the migration.
“The vice president is not making the border,” Harris’s spokeswoman Symone Sanders
Symone SandersThe Hill – Biden morning report may find zero support from the Republican Party for Harris’ job plan to move to the Naval Observatory next week. Texas Freezing Winter Battles MORE he told reporters during a trip to Connecticut last week, noting that Biden had commissioned Harris to deal with “diplomatic issues”.
Press Secretary of the White House Jen Psaki
Jen PsakiDeSantis issues executive order banning vaccines passports White House delays budget plan launch 12:30 report from The Hill – Biden announces big job report MORE reiterated that during a briefing on Friday when asked how Biden saw the role of Harris, saying that the vice president “is really focused on the North Triangle” and that the Secretary of Homeland Security Alejandro Mayorkas
Alejandro MayorkasCOVID halted a Latin business boom – recovery should aim to restore it Number of migrants detained on the southern border peaks in 15 years: reports NIGHT ENERGY: Supreme Court allies with Georgia over Florida in long war over water | FEMA unveils new fairer flood insurance calculation | Energy Department presses to reverse Trump era rule on efficiency standards MORE and Secretary of Health and Human Services Xavier Becerra
Xavier BecerraBiden’s HHS commits another M to advertising campaign promoting expanded health coverage. It’s time for a balanced conversation about Medicare Advantage spending. Top Trump consultant sought his own medical supply agreements COVID-19 are overseeing shelters for young migrants entering the United States
A Democratic strategist assumed that the White House was trying to divert attention from the situation at the border and focus on the international aspect of the challenge.
“They’re not really sure what they can do to resolve the situation at the border, but by making it more of a foreign policy issue, it becomes less tangible for the voter because voters don’t always pay attention to foreign policy issues, ”Said the strategist.
The Washington Post reported preliminary data on Friday showing that more than 171,000 migrants were taken into U.S. custody along the border during the month of March – the highest level in any month in more than a decade.
Psaki said on Friday that the message from the Biden government remains that now is not the time to come.
“We are not naive about the challenge, but our focus is on solutions and actions to help deal with unaccompanied minors who cross the border and make them less of an incentive to come,” she said.
The role gives Harris the opportunity to show that he is taking charge of an urgent and difficult issue, regardless of political risks. Some advocates are also hopeful that Harris will pursue the views he has defended as a senator, including defending due process rights for migrants detained upon entering the United States.
“I feel cautiously optimistic,” said Clara Long, who focuses on Human Rights Watch’s immigration and border policy. “She was a strong voice for due process, access to lawyers, the idea that a protection system should exist and I hope she has that same perspective in her involvement with other countries.”
Harris made his first call with Guatemalan President Alejandro Giammattei on Tuesday. She has no immediate plans to travel to the border, however, and Biden has suggested that he might do so at some point, but the White House has not offered a specific timetable.
Although Biden maintains high approval ratings to deal with the coronavirus economy and pandemic, his way of dealing with immigration is a weakness. A recent NPR / Marist poll found that 53% of American adults disapprove of how Biden handles immigration, while only 34% approve.
Republicans criticized the government, accusing the new president of encouraging an increase in migrants while the White House tried to transfer the blame back to the Trump administration. Biden reversed many of the former president’s immigration policies, including the acceptance of unaccompanied children at the border.
“It is more than a crisis. This is a human chagrin ”, leader of the minority of the house Kevin McCarthy
Kevin McCarthyRepublicans calmly say that Gaetz’s days in Congress are numbered. DOJ investigation into Gaetz involves cash payments to women: Pelosi report says the Ethics Committee should investigate Gaetz MORE (R-Calif.) Said last month during a trip to the border.
Doug Heye, former communications director for the Republican National Committee, described the border situation as a “hot potato” not only for Harris, but for the Biden government on a large scale.
“As we saw in the past with the Trump administration, as these images come from people crossing the border, from families being separated, voters react very negatively to this. Trump fed some of that by constantly having a divisive rhetoric about immigration, but as Biden’s rhetoric is more pleasant, these images don’t change, ”said Heye.
Still, he assumed Harris would not be the Republicans’ only target, unless it becomes clear that Biden is unlikely to seek a second term, which he recently said he intends to do.
“Otherwise, it would be a bit like attacking Mike Pence
Michael (Mike) Richard PenceHarris will move to the Naval Observatory next week On The Money: IRS says federal beneficiaries will receive relief checks starting April 7 | Democrats have growing SAL problem | Consumer confidence has reached its highest level since the start of the Marc Short pandemic among the leaders of the Republican campaign against Biden’s tax hikes: MORE reports three years ago, ”said Heye. “The vice president is not your target.”
But Harris, 56, must have long-term political ambitions, even if Biden seeks a second term in the White House.
“If she decides to run for president again, the way she deals with it may very well be an issue that she will have to grapple with in her own campaign,” said the Democratic strategist. “I’m sure she is dealing with this on a day-to-day basis, with an eye on her political future.”